Circuit-breaker for automatic signaling apparatus.



E. A. IJVERETT.

CIRCUIT BREAKER FOR AUTOMATIC SIGNALING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 9, 1907.

PatentedJan. 5, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

2. Inventor W a W witnesses mtomege E. A. EVERETT. CIRCUIT BREAKER FOB AUTOMATIC SIGNALIQIG APPARATUS.

APPLIOATIOH TILED NOV. 9, 1907- Patented Jan. 5, 1909 2' SHEETS-SHEET 2.

TI nventor .W 65 m RIYOUIQES UNITED STATES ATENT FFICE. I

EDWARD A. EVERETT, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, AssIGNoR'o'F oNn-ronarn'ro mMns c.

MOOK AND ONE-FOURTH TO JAMES CIRCUIT-BREAKER FOR AUTOMATIC SIGNAIING APPAR J. Ross, oFDETRo'IT,

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed November 9, 1907.

Paten'tedfl'an. 5, 1909. Serial No. 401,436.

To all whom it may concern:

c it known that I, EDWARD A. EVERETT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Deroit, in the county of iVayne, State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Circuit-Breakers for Automatic Signaling Apparatus; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to a circuit breaking device for automatic signaling apparatus, especially designed for use in connection with relays that are employed in the signal controlling circuits of railway block signal sys tems, and the invention consists in providing means at the relay for automatically opening the circuit controlling the signals in case of accident to the relay support or housing, or

employed in tl of carelessness or ignorance on the part of some one who might incline or invert the relay, all of which w ill be hereinafter more fully set forth and pointed out in the claims.

The object of the invention is to provide simple and efficient means for automatically opening the signal controllin circuit so as to set the signals at danger w en by acciden or otherwise or the relay 1n any way be comes tilted or overturned, the signals re g ag'iaing at danger until the fault is reme- As at present constructed, relays Which are 1e circuits controlling the signals will if inclined or overturned close the contacts controlling the signal circuits, there y maintaining the signals in a position indicating all clear even if a train is in the block with which the relay is associated, thereby removing the protection which such train is supposed to have. In the event of a tilted or overturned relay, it is of vital im portance that the signal should go to dan ger for if it does not, life and properi y are endangered. For this reason an automatic circuit breaker is essential.

The importance of protecting the incl'osures or housings in which the signal relays are located is so great that some roads have gone to the great expense of erecting heavy I cast iron the accompanying posts and housings upon concrete foundations to prevent the overturning of the relay through accident to its inclosing oxor support. This expensive construction, however, does not prevent the relay being tilted or overturned in some other way; or example, instances have been known Where ignorant or careless employees have temporarily inverted relays for the purpose of making tests or locating some trouble in the circuit, thereby removing all protection to a train which might be in the block affected thereby.

The application-of this uuVlCG to the signal relays will remove the dangerous conditions due to such an occurence because the signals will be set to indicate stop and themovement of trains will be governed accordingly.

I have shown the application of my automatic circuit breaker in connection with a standard type of signal relay illustrated in draw ings, in v. hich Figure 1 is a central vertical section through this type of signal relay to which my automatic circuit breaker is applied. Fig. 2 is a plan view of said relay. l ig. 3 is an elevation of a post carrying a box or housing at its upper end in which the relay is 10- cated, the dotted lines showing said post I tilted out of its nornial position. Pig. 4 is an enlarged detail view of one of the binding osts of the relay, showing my circuit breaker connected therewith, said circuit breaker being in section. Fig. 5 is a View similar to .Fig. 4 showing the position of parts when the relay is tilted. l ig. 6 is a plan View of the glass mercury cup forming a part of the circuit breaker. Fig. 7 is a fragmentary View in section, showing the mannor of connecting the mercury cup with the binding post of a relay when said binding post is originally constructed for this attachment. Referring to the characters of reference, 1 designates the glass wall of a standard ty e of signal relay which is confined between the top 2 and the base 3 by suitable tie rods in a manner well understood in the art forming a sealed inclosure in which the o' erative parts are located- Mounted upon 1; e top of said inclo'sure are the coils 4 the pole piece 5 of it. when the magnet is ener hated, the signal coni post 12. Upona lated therefrom by the sleeves ll; At the outer or free end of said arm is a contact spring 10 which is adapted when the magnet is energized to make contact with the point 11 at the lower'end of the binding screw 12 to the upper end of which one wire13 of the signal circuit, not shown, is connected; the other wire 14 of the sig al circuit is connected to the rear' binding post 15, the lower end of which depends within the inclosure oi the relay and has a bracket 16 attached thereto by a screw 1?,01 other suitable means. The lower end of the bracket 1.6 is recessed to receive the upper end of the glass mercury cup 18 which is removably secured therein. Said (in is preferably circular in. form and is provi ed with areduced bottom portion 19 forming'a wellwhich normally retains the mer cury 20., Projecting downwardly from the bracket 16 through the opening in the to of the mercury cup and normally depen g within the mercury is a contact point 21. Located in the bottom of the mercury cup is a contact plate 22 from which leads a conductor wire 23 to the rear end'of the'conductor arrn 8, It will therefore be seen that trolling circuit at the re ay is through binding post 15, the bracket 16, the contact point 21, the mercury 20, contact plate 22, the conductor wire23, the conductor arm 8, the contact point 10, the oint 11, and the binding eenergization of the magnet the armature will fall carrying downward the arm 8 and breaking the circuit between the oints 10 and 11. As ordinaril constructe the conductor wire 23 exten s directly to the lower end of the binding post 15 so that should the relay become inverted or tilted sidewise to any great extent the circuit will not 0 on at the points 10 and 11 be cause of the lightness of the armature and the friction that would be offered by its.

hinge or point of pivot when out of a horizontal plane even. should th magnet become deenergized, thereby allowing the signal controlling circuit to remain closed and indicating a clear track, when as a matter of the signals at danger.

fact a train might be occupying the block controlled by said signals. By including control 'ng circuit, as shown, a tilting of the relay from any cause sufiicient to interfere with its operation will cause the mercury to flow into the side ofthe cup and away from the contact point 21, as shown in Fig. 5, and expose said contact -p0int,thereby automatically breaking said circuit and placing the relay to its normal or vertical position, the circuit will be at once-restored insuringa continuation'of the normal function of the apparatus.

' y locating the operative parts within the sealed inclosureof the relay interference controls t Upon returning coasts therewith is prevented while the condition of the automatic circuit breaker may at all times be determined through the glass wall of said inclosure.

The bracket '16 employed to connect the circuit breaker with the binding post 15 will be used to attach my improved circuit breaker to relays already in service. to here new relays are "to include my circuit breaker, the lower end of the binding 0st will he provided with means for attac ring the mercury cup directly thereto, as shown in Fig. '7.

It will now be understood that a tilting of the relay or its support or any manipulation thereof or any interference therewith suiiicint to affect its normal. operation, will at once ooen the circuit at the relay which he track signals, thereby placing said signals at danger and reventing the possibility of accident until the trouble can be detected and removed.

The conductor wires 24 and 25 leading to the coils of the magne indicate the wires of the ordinary track circuit of a bloclrsignal system, not shown.

Having thus fully setforth my invention, what i claim as new and desireto secure by LettersPatent, is 5 v 1. In an automatic circuit breaker for signaling apparatus, the combination of a signal controlling circuit, a relay included therein, an means associated with the re lay for automatically openingsaid circuit upon the tilting or inversion of the relay.

'2. In a circuit breaking device for signalin apparatus, the combination with the signa controlling ircuit, oi a'relay included therein, a circuit breaker also includedin' said circuit and associated with said relay, said circuit breaking device comprising relatively movable conductive parts adapted to be actuated toopen the circuit by a movement of said relay out of its normal position. 3. 'lhe combination with asignal circuit,

of a circuit breaker fixed in the circuit to the 4 conductors thereof and having relatively movable conductive parts and a normally operative position, one of the conductive ,arts of the circuit breaker being movable rorn the other of said parts to breairthe circuit upon an incidental movement of the c'rcuit breaker out of its normal position.

and circuit breaking device for signaling apparatus, comprising a signal controlling circuit, a relay therein, a circuit breaker mounted on the relay and included in said circuit, said circuit'breaher consisting or" a cup of insulating material, a contact plate in the'bottom thereof from which one or the circuit wires leads, a contact point extending downward into said cup and connected with the circuit wire, a quantity oi conducti e material in the cup in a fluid state, normally ecaeea covering said plate and point, said cup hating an annular chamber into which said fluid may flow upon the tilting thereoi and expose said contact point.

5. In a circuit breaking device for signaling apparatus, the combination with a signal controlling circuit, of a relay included therein, a circuit breaker in said circuit, said circuit breaker depending from one of the binding posts of the relay and consisting of a receptacle of insulating material having a contact plate in the bottom t-l1B160f fIOI11 which one of the circuit Wires leads, a contact point insulated from said plate and extending into said cup also connected with the circuit Wire, a quantity of conductive material in a fluid state within said cup normally covering said plate and point but adapted to flow from and expose said point upon a tilting of the relay out of its normally operative position.

6. In a circuit breaking device for signaling apparatus, the combination with a signal controlling circuit, of a relay included therein, a circuit breaker also included in said circuit and attached to the relay, said circuit breaker comnrising a fluid conductive element normally connecting the conductive parts and adapted to flow from one of said parts to open the circuit upon a movement of the relay out of its normal position.

in testimony whereof, I sign this specification in the presence of two Witnesses.

' EDWARD A. EVERETT.

l'l' itnesscs 2 O. B. BAENZIGER, 1.. G. HoWLETT. 

